In completed UK thriller The Boat, a lone fisherman, lost in a deep mist, boards an abandoned sailboat. Finding no signs of life, he emerges back on deck only to discover his own boat has disappeared. First-time feature director Winston Azzopardi directs his son and relative newcomer Joe Azzopardi in the low-budget genre pic which caught the attention of some established buyers in Cannes.

Deals have been sealed with Metropolitan Filmexport for France, Splendid Film for Germany, Dutch Filmworks for Benelux, Mis. Label for Scandinavia, Impacto Cine for Latin America, Front Row for Middle East, Green Narae Media for South Korea and Suraya Filem for Vietnam, Malaysia, and Philippines. The deals were closed in and soon after Cannes and the film will be screened again for buyers at London Screenings this month ahead of a potential late summer festival launch.

Meanwhile, Koch Films picked up German rights to mountaineering adventure movie Summit Fever. Starring Freddie Thorp (Overdrive), the film began production in January 2018 and will continue to shoot this summer.

Summit Fever tells the story of a young English mountaineer who is lured to the Alps by his friend to help him conquer the ‘Big Three’ – the Matterhorn, the Eiger, and Mont Blanc over one summer. Despite witnessing numerous fatal accidents while ascending the first two peaks, they persevere onto the final climb, unaware of a deadly storm brewing on the other side of the mountain. The film is being shot at altitude in 4K by director and climbing enthusiast Julian Gilbey (A Lonely Place to Die).